Don't go to the pediatrician on Mondays!

So I have to ask, did every other mom in the world know this but me? We scheduled Big Kid for a check up for his knee Monday at 10am, and oh my were we surprised. We ended up waiting in the "well child area" for an HOUR for his appointment. First, let me say thank you for the separation of well and sick waiting areas... because every child that came in had to put on a mask, meaning they had flu symptoms. Thing One had to go #2, he's trying out the pottying outside our house. Parents kept banging the door down while the poor kid was sitting on the toilet so their kids could throw up! Seriously? I know they had sick children but come on, it happened to us three times at the pediatricians. The poor kid had to poo, and talk about making him upset!!! We went through five pull ups before we were finally seen by a doctor we didn't know.

He didn't even introduce himself, threw a few incomprehensible names at me of what could be wrong with Big Kid's knee, ordered an xray, then left. He didn't listen at all when we both said he hit his knee on his basketball hoop six weeks ago, he even went so far as to wonder out loud why the something schlatter's wasn't presenting in both knees. Um, because he hurt just the one? I have been going to this office for two years, and have been super happy with everyone until him. Guess I'll just ask who the appt is when we call to make one from now on :(

THEN we headed to the hospital for the xray, to find out the doctor never wrote what xray he wanted us to have. Thing One STILL had to poo. We walk the three miles from radiology to the restroom only to be bumped out of the way by a pregnant woman going into the one stall in the restroom. Thing One used pull up number 6 of the day. Then Thing Two went as well, and we were out of pull ups!! Have you ever just wanted to sit on the floor and cry? Needless to say we just left for home, and called radiology to reschedule.

I called the pediatrician's office to ask the doctor's name that we saw, so we could make sure we didn't see him again, and mentioned how awful our morning had gone. The receptionist told us Mondays are always awful especially during flu season, and we should try to avoid Mondays if we are healthy. Ok, so then why did the receptionist offer us a Monday morning appt when we called the week before to make it?!!

I sat at home last night feeling awful about our day, and about how many sick children I had seen in the office that morning. Do people skip flu shots for their kids because of the autism farce? Are they just too busy? I don't understand. It costs us $125 for flu shots, and every fall we pay it. I don't care how much it costs, it prevents the heartache of watching your children suffer like that, and it prevents them the pain and suffering.

I hugged my kids goodnight and wondered what happened to my generation. We are now parents, and have allowed almost eradicated diseases to re-enter our worlds, the school system is falling apart (we are responsible as parents and as teachers), and someday one of us will run this country. Did our parents worry about the same things? They are baby boomers, and they were the children of the 60s... are they to fix this mess or will we find ourselves and take responsibility?